‘House of Horrors’ mom’s parents divorced after David Turpin kidnapped her at age 16

Although her mother initially gave a then 16-year-old Louise Turpin permission to date a then 24-year-old David Turpin, it ended up separating the ‘House of Horrors’ mom’s parents, when her heartbroken father couldn’t over the fact that his wife gave their teen daughter permission to date a grown man.

While speaking with MailOnline, Louise Turpin’s younger sister, Teresa Robinette, explained that while her mother initially allowed Louise to date David Turpin, it all changed when David kidnapped her from school and made it to Texas before being caught. When authorities brought the pair back home West Virginia, the mother changed her mind and wanted her daughter to stay home. The father, however, who initially had no idea his daughter was dating a much older Turpin, said she already made her decision and should stick with it.

“She [Louise] was doing it [dating Turpin] behind my dad’s back — he wasn’t aware that they were dating — and then one day, David went into the high school and they let him sign Louise out of school and they ran away. He had his car and they drove,” Robinette said. “My mom, who had let them date, ended up being the one telling the police they had to send her home. She wanted her home right now, but my dad said, “No, she has made her choice, she should go off and live her life.”

Robinette explained that the father was livid that the mother allowed the pair to date in the first place, and placed all blame on his wife. The riff eventually separated them, and within two years of Louise eloping with David Turpin, her parents divorced. Shortly after, her father gave up his evangelical preaching.

“I remember my aunt crying and my grandma and my mom and my dad and my cousin Patricia and some other kids in our family, and we were all just crying,” Robinette explained.

Louise Turpin didn’t attend her mother’s funeral in 2016, and when her father passed away three months later, she again didn’t show up.

As CrimeOnline previously reported, although Louise Turpin left willingly with David Turpin, she was a minor when he checked her out of her high school and eloped with her. Texas law states that minors are incapable of making such decisions on their own without their parents’ permission, essentially making the elopement a kidnapping.

The Turpin couple are now facing numerous charges of child abuse and torture after California authorities determined they starved, neglected, and abused their 13 children, ranging in ages from 2 to 20. When police rescued the children from the Turpin’s Perris home on Monday, they found several of the victims shackled to furniture and lying in their own feces and urine.

The suspects are both behind bars on $12 million each. Both pleaded not guilty to all charges.